Ahmed Bajoaim – Women in Development and Peace
After the outbreak of conflict in Yemen nearly ten years ago, a large wave of displacement occurred, especially in areas located on or near the contact lines between warring parties. This displacement has had widespread effects on all aspects of social, economic, and health life, particularly among the most vulnerable groups, including women who have been deprived of access to basic health services, including reproductive health. With the deterioration of the health infrastructure damaged by the ongoing conflict, the situation has become even more complex.
Therefore, displaced women face multiple health challenges ranging from lack of medical care during pregnancy and childbirth, high maternal and child mortality rates, and worsening mental health problems due to the harsh conditions they face in camps and displacement areas lacking the most basic necessities in life.
Despite these difficulties, international organizations and donors, in cooperation with official bodies, are making strenuous efforts to improve the reproductive health situation of displaced women. These efforts include providing basic health care, raising awareness about the importance of reproductive health, and improving camp environments, thus contributing to reducing health risks for these vulnerable groups, especially women and girls, who are among the most affected.
International Reports
A 2024 report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) stated that an estimated 18 million people in Yemen need humanitarian assistance, more than half of whom are girls and women. Women and children account for about 80% of the 4.5 million internally displaced persons in Yemen.
The Fund also indicated in another report in February 2023 that more than 12.6 million women in Yemen need life-saving protection and reproductive health services.
In a recent tweet on X platform in October 2024, the Fund confirmed that since the beginning of 2024, its services have reached more than 19,256 women and girls, as part of a partnership with the European Union and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Twelve mobile teams worked to deliver life-saving reproductive health services to Yemeni women in remote areas and displacement camps difficult to reach due to their distance from large and specialized hospitals.
Similarly, a UN report in March 2020 explained that the conflict caused the displacement of many families; women and children account for approximately 76% of the total displaced population. Through its specialized agencies, the UN deployed mobile teams to provide reproductive health services. More than 4,400 displaced women in a displacement camp in Marib benefited from essential reproductive health care, according to the report titled “Yemen: As the humanitarian crisis intensifies, and access to essential services is limited, the United Nations Population Fund provides for the needs of women, especially those displaced.”
Health Impacts
Dr. Irtizaq Baggash, a gynecologist, obstetrician, and representative of the community committee in a displacement camp in Taiz, highlights the growing challenges women and girls face in displacement camps in Taiz. She points out that there are many health effects impacting women and girls in displacement camps, including reproductive health. Displacement has caused many difficulties for women, most notably financial hardship, loss of shelter, and difficult living conditions.
She explained that many displaced women live in tents made of “tarpaulins” that do not protect them from rain, in addition to the camp being unsafe to live in. Displaced women have become vulnerable to many risks, including gender-based violence, along with a lack of basic health services and essential supplies such as water, soap, and sanitary pads, which have led to a deterioration in the psychological and physical condition of women and limited the quality of available reproductive care.
Dr. Irtizaq believes that improving reproductive health in these circumstances requires intensive support from donor organizations to ensure the provision of health facilities, the securing of necessary medicines, and the provision of specialized healthcare providers to camps, especially for pregnant women, who are among the most vulnerable groups to diseases and risks.
The doctor points to the health challenges faced by adolescent girls in displacement camps; psychological stress and ongoing insecurity exacerbate health problems related to menstruation. She indicated that the lack of health facilities increases the difficulty of the situation; girls need health services to support them during this sensitive stage of their lives.
She added that displaced women suffer from health challenges ranging from menstruation to pregnancy; difficult births are common due to lack of medical care, posing a major threat to the lives of mothers and their children. Based on this, the doctor emphasizes the need to intensify efforts to provide health facilities and comprehensive care for women and girls in these difficult circumstances.
In the same context, Dr. Nabila Al-A’yyal, Director of Reproductive Health at the Ministry of Health office in Marib Governorate, points out that displaced women and girls in Marib camps suffer from a lack of basic health care and medical and reproductive services. They are exposed to serious health risks, and the deteriorating health conditions increase the risks of early marriage and pregnancy, complicate safe childbirth, malnutrition, and the spread of infectious diseases. Women find it difficult to access health care due to the scarcity of nearby medical facilities, the rarity of public transportation, and the lack of trained medical personnel within the camps.
Dr. Nabila Al-A’yyal confirms that Marib Governorate is one of the governorates that receives the most displaced people in Yemen; it includes more than 203 camps that house more than 68,000 displaced families. These camps suffer from a severe shortage of basic services, including health care and reproductive health, leading to great suffering for pregnant women, especially during childbirth. They may face serious health complications that threaten their lives and the lives of their newborns, and in many cases lead to death, disabilities, or permanent health problems.
According to the Executive Unit for Displaced Persons, the number of displaced persons in Hadhramaut reached about 66,000 displaced persons from various Yemeni governorates until 2023. Displaced women need multiple health services, especially regarding family planning and spacing births. These are essential services to maintain the health of mothers and children. Although these services are available in public health centers, the camps lack them significantly, increasing the suffering of women and limiting their available health options in difficult displacement conditions.
Stories from the Camps
Dr. Irtizaq Baggash, a representative of the community committee in the Taiz displacement camp, explained to Women in Development and Peace newspaper that the child Manal was born with congenital malformations due to a lack of health services and reproductive care in the camps; her mother suffered from multiple complications, such as anemia, malnutrition, and some accompanying pains during pregnancy, which negatively affected Manal’s health. Despite her need for regular medical check-ups after undergoing a brain catheterization procedure, the family’s economic and living conditions prevent providing this care, which has exacerbated the difficulty of her health condition.
Challenges and Solutions
Dr. Irtizaq Baggash explains that women in displacement camps in Taiz face significant challenges regarding reproductive health, starting from a lack of sufficient food during pregnancy and childbirth, to the absence of repeated medical care due to difficult financial circumstances. Mothers find it difficult to go to specialized health centers for check-ups, and newborns lack special care in the camps, exposing them to future health risks.
She continued, saying: “Camps are unsuitable places for newborns; they are exposed to several risks that may cause future complications, and during childbirth, they need special care, but this is unlikely to be adequately provided in displacement camps.”
She pointed out that the community committee is working to implement awareness-raising initiatives, including health education in reproductive health and first aid, in addition to encouraging women to pay attention to personal hygiene and care for children during and after childbirth to improve their health conditions.
Dr. Nabila Al-A’yyal points out that the health challenges faced by displaced women go beyond the lack of medical services to include complex environmental and social challenges. In addition to overcrowding and the distance of the camps from health facilities, women suffer from poor access to proper nutrition, especially for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, the spread of diseases and epidemics, the high cost of living, unhealthy housing, and poor health awareness.
In conclusion, displaced women in Yemen face serious challenges that directly affect their reproductive health due to the harsh environment in the camps. Providing medical services alone is not enough; comprehensive interventions addressing psychological and social aspects are needed, ensuring the rights of displaced women and supporting them in facing these conditions. Improving the health conditions of women in displacement camps, whether through the efforts of official bodies or specialized organizations, is hope for displaced women amidst the challenges of the long conflict that has exhausted Yemeni society.